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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. perch — the fish
  3. track — a song
  4. rule — government
  5. court — for sport
  6. foot — a measure
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rule — a law
  10. court — of law
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fork — in a road
  14. court — of a king
  15. wind — moving air
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. track — a path
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com